Dust protector for a weighing bar assembly

ABSTRACT

A dust protector for a weighing bar assembly (10), particularly usable under weighing platforms that comprises a structural body (1) defining two longitudinal ends, which comprise the dust protector (20), which, when projected in a top view, defines a C-shaped profile, comprising three plane rectangular plates (22, 23, 24) and three outer flaps (25, 26, 27), each of the flaps (25, 26, 27) extending perpendicularly from each of the plates (22, 23, 24), respectively, the flaps (25, 26, 27) being supported on the same support plane of the profile (21), enabling reduction in the accumulation of residues/debris on support portions of the weighing bar assembly (10), being easy to manufacture, mount and maintain, facilitating the cleaning of the assembly (10).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dust protector for a weighing barassembly disclosed in the patent application BR 10 2015 031525-2.

Weighing bars are employed to accommodate load cells and are usuallypositioned under weighing platforms. Therefore, weighing bars must berobust in order to support the whole weight of the load to be weighed,in addition to the weight of the weighing platform, without anystructural alteration. They further should house the load cells insafety, enabling their free displacement, in order to make weightassessment feasible.

According to the different places where weighing bars can be applied,for example, in open field, exposed to bad weather conditions such asrainwater and muds, there is a need to have aneasy-to-maintain-and-clean assembly.

One cannot observe, in the prior art, any weighing bar assemblycomprising at least one dust protector at each of its longitudinal ends,capable of reducing significantly the accumulation of residues/debris onsupport portions of the assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the objective of the invention is to provide a dust protector fora weighing bar assembly that is arranged at the longitudinal ends of theassembly and enable reduction of the accumulation of residues/debris onsupport portions of the weighing bar assembly, which is easy tomanufacture, mount and maintain, facilitating the cleaning of theassembly.

The objectives of the present invention are achieved by means of a dustprotector for a weighing bar assembly, which comprises a structural bodydefining two longitudinal ends, each of the body ends comprising thedust protector, which, when projected in a top view, defines a C-shapedprofile, the profile including three plane rectangular plates and threeouter flaps, each of the flaps extending perpendicularly from each ofthe respective plates, the flaps being on the same support plane of theprofile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe drawings. The figures show:

FIG. 1—a side view of the weighing bar assembly comprising the dustprotector of the invention arranged at one of its longitudinal ends;

FIG. 1A—a side view of the weighing bar assembly comprising a dustprotector of the invention arranged at both of its longitudinal ends.

FIG. 2—a perspective view of the dust protector of the invention;

FIG. 3—a top view of the dust protector of the invention;

FIG. 4—a top view of the weighing bar assembly comprising the dustprotector of the invention;

FIG. 5—a perspective view of the dust protector of the invention beingmounted on the weighing bar assembly; and

FIG. 6—another perspective view of the dust protector of the invention,mounted on the weighing bar assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the drawings, one observes in FIG. 1 a side view of aweighing bar assembly 10 comprising a structural body 1 that defines twolongitudinal ends, each of the ends resting on an elastomeric cushion 2supported by a support shoe 3 and at least one dust protector 20.

Each of the longitudinal ends of the body 1 of the weighing bar assembly10 comprises at least the elastomeric cushion 2, at least the supportshoe 3 and at least one dust protector 20.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, one observes the dust protector 20 of the presentinvention, which, when projected in a top view, defines a C-shapedprofile 21, which comprises a first plane rectangular plate 22, arrangedvertically with respect to a second plane rectangular plate 23, thesecond plate 23 being arranged vertically with respect to a third planerectangular plate 24, the first and third plates 22, 24 being parallelto each other.

Further, the dust protector 20 comprises a first outer flap 25, arrangedorthogonally to the second outer flap 26, the second flap 26 beingarranged orthogonally with respect to the third outer flap 27, the firstand third flaps 25, 27 being parallel to each other.

Each of the flaps 25, 26, 27 extends perpendicularly from each of theplates 22, 23, 24, respectively, so that the flaps 25, 26, 27 aresupported on the same support plane of the profile 21.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the dust protector 20, mounted at oneof the longitudinal ends of the weighing bar assembly 10.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate perspective views of the dust protector 20being mounted at one of the longitudinal ends of the weighing barassembly 10.

The dust protector 20 is manufactured from a metallic or polymericmaterial, according to the need of the environment and design. Thethicknesses, widths and Heights of the plates 22, 23, 24 and of theflaps 25, 26, 27 also vary according to the design of the weighing barassembly 10.

The main objective of the dust protector 20 lies in not allowingresidues/debris/dirt to accumulate under the body 1 of the assembly 10,chiefly between the elastomeric cushion 2 and the support shoe 3.

Thus, the dust protector 20 is associated to the longitudinal ends ofthe body 1, so that the residues generated will be accumulated on theouter flaps 25, 26, 27 of the dust protector 20.

The dust protector 20 is easy to manufacture, by virtue of itssimplified geometry, besides being easy to mount and maintain,facilitating the cleaning of the assembly 10.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A weighing bar assembly comprising astructural body (1) that defines two longitudinal ends, characterized inthat each of the ends of the body (1) comprises an elastomeric cushion(2), a support shoe (3), and a dust protector (20), the dust protector(20) at each end of the body (1), when projected in a top view, definesa C-shaped profile (21) including three plane rectangular plates (22,23, 24) and three outer flaps (25, 26, 27), each of the flaps (25, 26,27) extending perpendicularly from each of the plates (22, 23, 24),respectively, the flaps (25, 26, 27) being on a same support plane ofthe profile (21) such that at each end of the body (1), the flaps (25,26, 27) are supported by the respective support shoe (3) with therespective elastomeric cushion (2) positioned within the C-shapedprofile (21).